Ride a Cowboy
by Asylum Farm
Summary: Nick decides there is nothing left to lose.
1. Chapter 1

A bath. Nick never thought he would see a bath tub with running water again. The safe room in the swamp was little more than a shack like those surrounding it, but for now it was zombie free, and it had running water.

Rochelle had called dibs on the tub and the young woman had groaned and moaned in pure joy as she splashed in the tepid water.

"Danged ole skeeter," Ellis snapped as he swatted another insect. ""fraid I'll be sucked dry before we get out of the swamp," the young man grinned innocently at his companions. Nick had to shift uncomfortably at the image that brought to mind. The last couple days had been difficult for the older man. Ellis and his annoying Labrador puppy high spirits got on his nerves, but he had to admit the boy was easy on the eyes.

"I am sure you would know all about that," Nick said dryly. The happy grin stayed in place, Ellis was almost completely incapable of taking offense.

"Man, the things I could tell you about the swamp," He started happily. "One time me and Keith and maybe Dave, or was it Bubba?" Ellis paused in his story to ponder the identity of the third companion.

"You have to be joking, kid," Nick interjected. "You actually know someone named Bubba?"

"Why sure," Ellis switched tracks as quickly and smoothly as anyone Nick had ever met. "I know lots of Bubbas. Keith's cousin Bubba, Bubba Junior down at the store, Bubba McGee who owns the video place, my aunt Bubba,"

"Enough!" Nick held up one hand and rubbed at his temples with the other. "I do NOT need to hear any story that involves a woman named Bubba."

Coach gave a grunt, maybe agreement, maybe just the heavy man's lungs protesting. "Girl, save some for the rest of us!" He finally called toward the tiny room that served as a bathroom. He needed his couple of minutes away from the two arguing next to him, even if it was just in a closet.

Rochelle appeared before Ellis could start back up on his story and push Coach over the edge with his patience. The door snicked shut and water was heard running into the old enameled tub.

"Sweet Mary and Joseph that feels good," Rochelle swore as she squeezed water from her hair with a towel. "I don't think I have ever enjoyed a bath that much."

Another rather thread bare towel was wrapped around her thin frame and she glared at the two men sitting on the floor across the small room. "As much as I hate to put these dirty clothes back on, I sure as hell am not doing it with you two staring at me."

Ellis blushed an amazing shade of red and quickly turned his back mumbling apologies too "miss Rochelle", Nick casually leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes. "Don't worry, Girl," He assured her, "I am not peeking." The obvious smirk in his voice made Ellis face him and actually slap at his arm.

"Don't you dare!" He looked genuinely shocked. "You let Miss Rochelle get dressed!" Nick was so surprised by the vehemence in the boy's face that he actually found himself facing the wall.

"Calm down, Ellis," he tried to sooth the kid, "I didn't mean anything by it." A dark part of him wished that Ellis' reaction had been out of jealousy that he might be looking at the pretty young woman and not out of respect for her. That though almost mad _him_ blush.

Where was this coming from? Ellis? Of all people. The problem wasn't that he found the boy attractive, he had been with enough men to know that he wasn't exactly straight, but this was getting ridiculous. This was not a time to be thinking about this hick kid who didn't even change out of his grease covered coveralls as a potential lover. The boy had no money, no political power, nothing he could use, take, or hold against him. In other words, the boy was useless, so why did he still want him so badly.

Nick was still thinking about Ellis and his unreasonable attraction to him when Rochelle announced that it was safe for him to turn around again. For a moment there, he had forgotten why he was sitting there staring at a wall.

Ellis shuffled and blushed some more as he got up and began pulling canned foods out of the little cabinet by the door. He was obviously uncomfortable.

"Pork 'n Beans, Pork 'n Beans, and more Pork 'n Beans," he rolled a can toward Rochelle. "Hey, y'all check it out! We're having Pork 'n Beans fer supper!" Nick groaned but took the can that rolled toward him and Rochelle just sighed in resignation. They really had no choice but to eat what they found, but why did everyone around here seem to have stocked up on Pork and Beans? Why not Chunky Beef stew or Ravioli in a can?

"Fer dessert we can have. . ." Ellis paused for effect. "Pork and Beans!" Anyone else, Nick would have assumed they were being sarcastic, but not Ellis, the kid seemed to be genuinely amused.

"Jeeze, Kid," Nick groaned, "You don't have to be so happy about it.

"Awww shucks," Ellis pouted, "This ain't nothin'. Least we GOT pork 'n beans. There was this huntin' trip me and Keith went on, excepting we both fergot to bring food. See, I thought Keith was bringin' it and he thought I was bringin' it and we get to the deer camp and find that alls we got is 2 cases of beer and a package of beef jerky we got at the gas station. So we. . ."

"Ellis, honey,' Rochelle said gently before Nick could tear into the boy. "Eat your beans before they get even colder."

"Umm, right, good point," Ellis started to shovel the canned food into his mouth like he actually enjoyed it.

Nick was hungry enough to eat the goopy mess in a can, but not enough to enjoy it. He was beginning to wonder how anyone could actually enjoy it when Coach came into the larger room dripping onto the floor boards and grinning like a fool as he opened his can of unnaturally colored mush and vaguely pork like products.

Not waiting to see what Ellis was doing, Nick quickly slipped into the bathroom. He slipped off the battered and formerly while jacket and slacks before folding his blue shirt and stacking them all on the sink to keep them from the damp floor. Outside he heard Rochelle crow in triumph as she located a battery operated radio and Ellis started in on some other story about the much adored Keith and their redneck exploits.

Nick turned the knobs and felt the pipes rattle as the slightly murky water began to flow into the cracked and stained tub. He didn't want to admit it, but he felt a little jealousy when he heard Ellis ramble on about his "buddy" Keith. How close were they? Where they really just friends. . . The thoughts tumbled and built up on each other as he bathed. The water wasn't clean enough that he would consider drinking it, but it was good enough that he was able to feel more human and less like the swamp monster from an old film.

What little warmth had been in the water was gone and there was nothing more he could legitimately scrub, so Nick got out of the tub. He would have to go back out there and listen to Ellis chirp and bubble his way through another evening, Coach would growl and Rochelle would just smile and pet Ellis like a puppy. Ah, just like family.

"Oh good!" Ellis hopped up like a jack-in-the-box when Nick stepped in to the room," I was beginnin' to think you had fallen asleep in there. Thought we might have to send Coach in to pull ya out." That big shit eating grin, Nick wanted to just smack it right off his happy little face. Or kiss him until he shut up. Stick his tongue right down the boy's throat.

Whoa, he needed to stop that train of thought right now!

"Just go take your bath, Ellis," he growled, trying to hide his confusion. "You are starting to smell worse than the zombies."

Ellis just stuck his tongue out and happily dashed into the bathroom.

Luckily, neither Coach nor Rochelle were paying any attention to him. He dressed in his battered shirt and suit and lay down on a pile of rags that might once have been a mattress. Rochelle was still playing with the radio and had begun trading out scratched and abused CDs to see if any of them would play. Coach had taken the only other thing pretending to be a bed.

Oh shit. He realized what was about to happen. There was no way Rochelle was going to sleep in the same bed as him, that meant Ellis was about to crawl onto the sagging piece of fabric and sleep. How in the ell was he supposed to sleep now? He couldn't get up and go lay down next to Coach. Great.

The radio gave a squawk and started to play. Rochelle gave a whoop of triumph, and the shack was filled with the nasal cowboy voices of Big and Rich.

"_Cause I saddle up my horse__  
>And I ride into the city<em>_  
>I make a lot of noise<em>_  
>Cause the girls<em>_  
>They are so pretty<em>_  
>Riding up and down Broadway<em>_  
>On my old stud Leroy<em>_  
>And the girls say<em>_  
>Save a horse, ride a cowboy.<em>_  
>Everybody says<em>_  
>Save a horse, Ride a cowboy"<em>

Nick groan theatrically and covered his head with the still damp towel when Ellis practically threw himself out of the bathroom with an exclamation that sounded suspiciously like "whhooo eeee" Problem was, he forgot to wrap the towel securely around his hips and it dropped almost as soon as he got through the door. The noise had brought Nick to upright and as soon as he saw Ellis in all his naked glory, he threw himself back down and turned to the wall. He was not going to get any sleep that night. None at all.

Even the mobile dead were quiet tonight. Nick lay there, turned away from the gently snoring Ellis wishing it was safe enough for him to go outside, have smoke, have a wank. Anything to get him out of that bed next to Ellis.

Then the worst happened, Ellis rolled over in his sleep and wrapped his arms around Nick and hung on like a koala bear on a limb. Hot breath tickled his neck and warm strong arms wrapped around his waist.

He tried to turn over to push Ellis onto his other side, but when he got twisted around he found himself face to face with the boy and before he knew it he was kissing those soft lips. It was pure bliss.

Without thinking he rolled Ellis onto his back and deepened the kiss, pushing his tongue into the hot mouth, and Ellis responded by wrapping his arms around Nick's neck. Ellis had not put his shirt back on and Nick ran his hands down lean smooth sides as he pushed his erection against the boy's thigh. Then Ellis opened his eyes.

Nick thought his heart would stop in his chest, and tensed, waiting for Ellis to start yelling, push him off, and do whatever redneck men did when they woke up to near strangers kissing them. Strange men at that.

All Ellis said was a muffled "oh yeah," as he turned his head to let Nick at his neck. "I'll be damned," Nick mumbled, but took his chance kissing his way along Ellis' rough jaw and thick neck. The boy's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed convulsively and he jerked his hips up to meet the older man's.

Rough mechanics fingers pulled the white dress pants open and tugged at Nick's arousal as he worked his way down along the smooth chest. Nick licked and gently bit first one nipple then the other before continuing down. He had to pull himself out of Ellis' hand but he wanted another look at what he had glimpsed earlier.

It didn't take much work to slide the overalls the rest of the way down and he was able to take Ellis in his mouth. The boy was salty but clean from his earlier bath and Nick swallowed as much as he could.

An exuberant moan from Ellis made him sit up and cover his enthusiastic young lover's mouth. "Quiet," he hissed and looked across the floor to the other mattress. Coach still snore steadily and Rochelle's eyes were still closed.

"Apparently I can't let you or your mouth alone for one minute, can I?" Nick tried to sound stern, but he couldn't help but smile at Ellis' completely guileless face staring up at him in the dark.

Attacking that pretty mouth again, Nick almost whimpered himself when Ellis wrapped his hand around both their erections and began to stroke.

Most men would like to say that they have stamina that lets them last for hours, but Nick had to be honest with himself. After days of running from zombie and nights sleeping next to the best looking redneck he had ever seen he just wasn't going to last.

With a stifled grunt and a not so gentle bite to Ellis collar bone, Nick spilled himself on the boy's stomach, and was gratified to feel Ellis doing the same. At least he hadn't embarrassed himself in front of the boy.

Grabbing the towel from the floor near the bed, Nick quickly cleaned up their mess and helped Ellis redress himself.

Contentedly, he lay back down and pulled Ellis in close. Now he would sleep just fine. At least for tonight.


	2. Chapter 2

The door to the safe room clunked open with a hollow ring. Nick winced at the thought of all the zombies that had to be crawling these tunnels that now knew they were there.

"Hey. No smoochin', y'all." Coach said as they made their way to the tunnels. Nick almost stopped in his tracks. A sly look back over her shoulder told him everything he needed to know. Rochelle had not been asleep last night.

"Well, looks like we're going through the Tunnel of Love, people. Stay close to me." Coach encouraged the small group to gather around him.

"I'd think I like to clarify what constitutes 'close'." Nick groused, wishing he didn't have to wander through a zombie infested tunnel of love. Wishing he didn't have to wander through anything with zombies ever again.

"Did I ever tell you guys about the time my buddy Keith drowned in the Tunnel of Love?" Ellis piped up. It was clear by his happy open expression that the boy had not caught the significance of either the comment or the look. "You wouldn't think it could happen 'cause the water's so shallow, but that's how it gets you, man. _Overconfidence_**.** Keith was with his lady at the time, and he was yellin' for her to save him, but she didn't want to get wet."

"Ellis, sweetie," Rochelle said gently, as the first undead shambled into view, "We don't have time for this."

"Amen," Nick mumbled loud enough to for the others to hear.

If he heard one more Keith story he was going to scream, if he ever got he hands on that moron redneck piece of. . . He shook his head hard, he did not need to be distracted when they were about to try to get through a glorified sewer full of infected amusement park visitors.

At the ride entrance they all swung right and found themselves face to rotting face with a pile of zombies, common infected were crowded around the abandoned swan shaped boats, completely blocking them in.

A gurgling belch followed by a cough let them know that a Boomer and a Smoker were nearby as well.

Ellis gave a low whistle, "Daaamn." Then he grinned that cocky adorable grin at them. "Let's do this!"

They waded into the sea of zombies. Blood and bits of bone and even less appealing things splattered on the slick blue canal and made walking even more treacherous. The tunnel itself was narrow and the rounded sides of the "channel" for the boats made it difficult to get out of the main passage when a wave of zombie would press them back.

The little alcoves and nooks, set for staging scenes for the mostly oblivious passengers were not much help either, the infected would get behind the walls or trapped in corners and shamble out at unexpected times.

Once, they thought they heard a charger bellow around a bend and scrambled out of the way into the alcoves. Rochelle and Coach to the left and Nick and Ellis to the right. Rochelle's colorful exclamation told them that she and Coach were not alone on their side.

Nick gestured for Ellis to stay quiet as he looked behind the scenery for hidden zombies. A quick sweep of the flashlight showed no active threats and he quickly rejoined Ellis near the tunnel entrance again.

Ellis had crouched behind a curtain and was staring intently out at the tunnel. He fidgeted constantly and was mumbling quietly under his breath. Nick couldn't resist, he crept closer as quietly as he could and slipped his arms around Ellis from behind, placing a hot kiss on the back of the young man's neck.

He was rewarded with a strangled yelp and a long string of profanity when Ellis realized who it was.

"Didn't figure you for a practical joker, Nick," the boy hissed. "You 'bout gave me a heart attack! Why did you know that. . ." Nick had no idea what Ellis was about to say, he covered his favorite hicks mouth with his own and pushed his tongue in. It worked, Ellis quit talking immediately.

The yelp had drawn Rochelle's attention and Nick heard her calling as quietly as possible across the tunnel. "Ellis, you ok, sweetie?" Of course she asked about Ellis he thought a little bitterly.

Ellis pulled away slightly, and called back. "We're fine, Ro, just a little . . . oh shit" Nick felt himself shoved into the wall and heard Ellis' gun before he figured out what was going on. A zombie had snuck up on them.

"I thought you was checking to see that there weren't no zombies back there, Nick!" Ellis voice almost shouted.

"I DID!" Nick insisted, "There wasn't anything back there!" He grabbed his flashlight and went back behind the wall again. Now he saw it. A door, probably to a mechanical room was open. He hadn't seen it before and really didn't think most of the infected were smart enough to open a door even if he had, but here it was open and more movement could be seen in the shadows beyond.

"Time to get moving again," Nick grabbed Ellis' arm and swung him back toward the tunnel. Rochelle and Coach had already crossed the "river" and were standing by the entrance.

"Seems a few of them still know how to work a door knob," Nick informed them and headed back out. How about that, he thought to himself; cock blocked by a piece or rotting homicidal meat.

The Spitter in the mechanical room almost did them all in, but it was the hoard at the bottom of the slides that was the real challenge, another Spitter, followed by yet another Boomer, and another fucking hoard. Nick limped to the gate leading to the Screaming Oak and felt like lying down and giving up. The hunter's orange arrow pointed up the tracks and the gate was undoubtedly alarmed. The next safe house could only be reached through yet another mass of screaming starving infected. The alarms on the roller coaster would just serve as a dinner bell for the infected.

"You must be this tall to ride. Sorry, Ellis, it's been real, man," Coach joked as the older man pressed the button to open the gates. The bell sounded and a car raced into the station as if to pick up new passengers. It plowed through a mass of infected as they swarmed toward the novel sound. The sight of zombies being crushed by a roller coaster car actually made Nick chuckle a little.

"Let's do this," Nick sighed as the gate swung back and the four survivors began the race for the safe house. Coach and Rochelle dashed up the first hill, Ellis not far behind, but Nick couldn't keep up, watching his companions get further and further ahead. A smoker had grabbed him just before the slides and his chest still hurt from the tongue squeezing him, he was sure a rib had been broken.

Limping to the first covered barn, Nick rested his head against the rough wood wall and closed his eyes. There was no way he would catch up now.

"Don't make me drag your ass all the way down there," a familiar southern drawl followed by a warm body pressed close to him.

Nick opened his eyes to see Ellis standing there, stubbled face only inches from his own. That charming half smile and warm soft lips covered his.

"Don't leave me now," Ellis wrapped his arm around Nick's back. "I have way too many stories left to tell you."


	3. Chapter 3

Rain. Rain, he could deal with, but this was an out and out storm and it was starting to get on his nerves. The trek to the gas station to get the diesel fuel had been grueling, but it looked like the trip back was going to be as close to hell as he wanted to get.

The spitter in the sugar cane fields was the first time Ellis really though there was a chance they were not going to ever make it back to the boat alive. The rain had come in like a solid wall of cold needle like drops, pounding into the small group, making it impossible to see each other. The cane thrashed and waves in a dizzying, spastic dance that made his head swim and every flash of lightning revealed yet another infected monster closer than he expected.

At one point, Rochelle shrieked so loudly, he heard it over then rolling, booming thunder. Everything was so chaotic and dark; all he could do was stumble forward and hope like hell he was heading in the right direction. He had lost Nick only seconds after they had re-entered the cane field and he was starting to feel panic at the thought he would not find the man again.

He frantically tried to wipe the rain from his eyes just in time for soggy cane to swing around and smack him in the face. More lightning, and another rotten, slack jawed face less than 2 feet from him. He knew there was no time to get his gun up in time, and as the thunder rolled like a physical force, making his legs weak and his chest rattle, the infected fell in a shower of meaty bits at his feet. Nick gave a cocky grin as he was revealed behind the falling creature.

"Gotta be faster than that, Overalls," the con man said in a cheeky voice. "We don't need one of those things chewing your pretty lips off."

Torn between being annoyed at the comment, and relief at being rescued and seeing Nick again, all Ellis could manage was a wordless grunt and to re-adjust his soaking wet cap.

The elevator was closer than he had expected and the two men stumbled into the rickety contraption steps in front of Coach and Rochelle. Nick slapped the button and the platform groaned to life. It rattled like a dying man and the shrieks of infected both above and below, now alerted to their location, was almost enough to drown out the sounds of the storm.

Their progress was agonizingly slow and the wind made the metal cage shake and wobble even more than their ride down. Ellis found himself holding his breath, praying to a god he had begun to lose faith in that they at least make it to the top. He didn't want to die trapped in the wreckage of an underserviced freight elevator. He didn't want to die, period.

It was Nick who broke him out of his gloomy thoughts with a sly hand sliding around from behind. Ellis hadn't noticed that Nick had backed into the far corner behind him until the warm breath in his ear and the warmer hand groping along his upper thigh woke him up.

"Easy, Overalls," Nick purred into his ear. "Just checking to see that you are all right." The hand slid further around moving to its real goal. Ellis was glad it was too dark for anyone to see the blush that must have been staining his cheeks as Nick cupped his hand around his crotch and gave a playful squeeze. "Oh, yeah," he whispered, "You sure feel all right to me, kid."

The cage rattled to a halt and Ellis wasn't sure if he was relieved or sorry to feel Nick let go and lean back against the back wall as the first wave of infected came pouring onto the platform.

The storm continued, and Ellis began to wonder if he would ever feel warm or dry again. The wind howled, and tore at his clothes and hat and almost pulled him from the top of a silo as they scrambled back toward the sugar mill. The witches wailed and keened louder than any wind ever could and it seemed like spitters were being spawned by the old mill itself.

By the time the found the safe house, all of them were either limping or burned by the corrosive green goop. Nick seemed to have the worst of it. He had managed to startle witch during a big blow up of the storm and now bore three new, very deep gouges down his chest. They oozed dark red blood as the safe house door slammed shut. No amount of gauze or bandages seemed to stop the blood from seeping through the torn flash, and finally they had to move on. The water from the storm was causing flooding already and the trash heaped down stairs was quickly filling with filthy, brackish water.

"Quite fussing already," Nick snapped when Rochelle tried to change to gauze vainly trying to stop the blood from flowing. "I got this, we need to get the hell out of here and back to the mother fucking boat." Rochelle backed off quickly and grabbed a new first aid kit. "We'll finish this as the next house, Nick."

Outside the bang of the door opening made a bunch of aimlessly wandering infected suddenly find a focus. Ellis had found more ammunition for his shotgun and took down the first 10 that raced up the half rotten stairs toward them. The town was nearly completely flooded. Cars were submerged to their headlights and infected stumbled around in water that was often up to their waists. While the water slowed the shambling dead down, it would slow them down as well.

"We need to get to the roof over there!" Ellis pointed to the row of houses across from the safe room. Several houses in a row were huddle together as if for warmth. He felt confident they could get further down the street by going from roof top to roof top than trying to wade through the filthy water in the streets.

A cheap aluminum ladder gave them the access they needed to the roofs, but the quickly found that they were not alone. Dozens of infected were also wandering around, high above the flood. It made him wonder if they still had an instinct to preserve themselves, or if these people had died and converted while on the roofs, or if they animated corpses had simply found their way up there while looking for someone to eat.

He didn't wonder about it for long. There were too many to ignore and the fight to the end of the row of houses was much harder than he had anticipated when he proposed the idea. The drop down to the soaked streets, come river, was almost a relief.

They darted through abandoned homes, a few shops that must have been decrepit before the green flu hit, and more houses that had more furniture on their front porches than inside their walls. Ellis stumbled yet again on a hidden bag of trash submerged near a door way and fell into a sodden arm chair.

"How long ago did they quit picking up trash in this place?" He griped as he pulled himself up and stumbled into the mostly empty house. "There ain't no way this much trash got piled up in just a few days. These zombies been bagging their trash or somethin'?"

"What kind of trash would a zombie bag, Overalls," Nick wheezed behind him. "Unused body parts? I hadn't noticed them being too picky yet."

"Ewww. Just ewww." Rochelle called back over her shoulder. "Shut up both of you, I do not want to think about there being body parts in these bags. It is bad enough knowing it is probably dirty diapers and chicken bones."

Neither he nor Nick had enough energy left to argue with her. The four of them trudged on dodging submerged dangers and roaming infected. Ellis remembered it only being a mile, maybe a mile and a half between houses on the trip out to get the gas, but this time seemed to be much longer. Every turn they made, he expected to see the glowing light above the safe room door, but instead, just another flooded street in a town too poor to notice had died.

Finally, in the distance, the light. Ellis began to grin. They were almost there. This was the last safe house before they got back to the Burger Tank and back to the boat. He never thought he would be so happy to see a Burger Tank. He tried to move faster, but his legs were too tired from running through the thigh deep water, dragging his sodden clothes and boots along endless streets, he stumbled and went down. The filthy water lapped at his face as he struggled to get up, Coach and Rochelle were too far ahead to notice he had fallen.

"This is twice, kid," Nick grinned as he offered Ellis a hand up out of the mud and muck. "You are going to owe me big time tonight," he winked as Ellis blushed and made a futile attempt the brush himself off as he stood. "Oh I don't. . . "

Ellis didn't get to finish his thought; a smoker loomed along the roof line behind Nick and had already lashed out with its insanely long tongue and snared Nick around the ribs and throat.

"Oh shit! Oh Shit! Oh Shit!" He heard himself say over and over as the misshaped abomination dragged Nick in like a fish on a line. "Coach! Rochelle! A Smoker has Nick!" He shouted as loud as his tired lungs would let him and he fired the shotgun over and over until the tentacle like appendage was severed and Nick dropped in to the rising water.

Rochelle was the first back out of the safe room and killed the smoker, leaving a cloud of noxious dust to blow in to the wind. Ellis didn't even care. He was already on his knees beside Nick, pulling him above the water's surface. The green eyes opened but the sound that came out was not so much a breath as a gurgle.

"Shit, son," Coach had come up beside them. "Best get him inside."

Ellis tried to be careful as he half carried, half dragged Nick into the safe house, but every step, ever bump made the gurgling rattle noise come out of his chest. A faint froth of red foam started to form at the corners of Nick's mouth.

The door made a solid boom and clank as it was pulled shut. Now should have been the time to celebrate another safe leg of their journey, but instead, Ellis was frantically looking for somewhere to lay Nick down so he could quit hurting the man.

A moldering bed was found in a small bedroom and he carefully placed Nick in the center of it. He ignored the screaming of the muscles in his back as he lurched upright and began to frantically search for a first aid kit. By the time he found one and came back into the room, Rochelle and Coach had already removed Nick's once white jacket and raised the fraying, stained blue shirt. The bruising around his ribs was already a starting shade and the broken bones obvious. Another wheeze and more blood dribbled from Nick's mouth.

"How you holding up, sport?" Coach tried to sound cheerful.

"I've been better," The words were barely more than a whisper.

"Sweetie," Rochelle, tried to gently guide Ellis back out the door. "I think you should wait out here."

"For what, Ro?" He snapped at here for the first time since they had met. "For what? Wait out here for him to die?"

"Sweetie," she started again, but Ellis brushed passed her and moved to the bed. Nick gave him a weak smile.

"I screwed the pooch on this one, kid," more blood. Ellis wiped it away with a piece of gauze from the kit.

"It'll be all right," He started but Nick stopped him.

"I haven't felt this bad in a long time, kiddo, and this time there isn't a hospital to put me back to together." He took Ellis hands in his. "I'm sorry." He didn't say for what.

"We can try to see if the rain will let up a little before we head out. " Coach was trying to diffuse the situation, put off the inevitable. Why don't we try to get some rest and see how it looks after the rain stops."

He backed out of the room, taking Rochelle with him.

"Don't say that, Nick," Ellis knew he was whining, but he couldn't help it as hot tears dripped off his face. "We'll figure something out. We'll…"

Nick held one finger up to Ellis' mouth, stopping the next words. Ellis could see how much the movement cost the older man, so he quit talking.

"Just lay down, Overalls," Nick tried to smile, but it was a tight look, more of a grimace. "Lay here with me for a while. Until the rain stops."


	4. Chapter 4

No time for goodbye he said  
>As he faded away<br>Don't put your life in someone's hands  
>They're bound to steal it away<br>Don't hide your mistakes  
>'Cause they'll find you, burn you<br>Then he said

If you want to get out alive  
>Whoa-oh, run for your life<br>If you want to get out alive  
>Whoa-oh, run for your life<p>

-Three Days Grace "Get Out Alive"

Ellis woke with a jerk that shook the whole bed, causing Nick to groan in irritation. "Overalls, this bed will not stand up to that kind of wiggling." The older man had one white clad arm over his eyes and the other draped under Ellis' shoulders. "If it could, do you really think either of us would still be dressed?"

"You're OK!" Ellis blurted out, grabbing Nick's arm and pushing it off of his face. The now familiar green eyes blinked at him in confusion.

"Of course, I am, Kiddo," The many ringed fingers cupped Ellis' stubbled jaw and held him so he could see his face. "What are you talking about?"

Ellis blushed and pulled him face away looking away. "The Smoker. . . "He stumbled over his words, "your ribs, the blood. . . ": He stopped, embarrassed. "It must have been a terrible bad dream." He mumbled into his shoulder, not meeting Nick's eyes.

"That damn Smoker was back at the amusement park from hell, Kiddo," Nick tried to sound firm, bit the kid's concern touched him. He couldn't remember the last time someone had cared enough about him to be upset if he died. In a dream or otherwise.

"Run, Ellis."

Ellis jerked, looking back at Nick. The last words had been Nick's voice, but the broken rasp from the dream. Nick pulled himself up to lean back against the wall behind the bed. "You shouldn't look at me like that, Ellis," He said. "You are starting to creep me out."

"Sorry, Nick," Ellis said sheepishly and gently stroked his lover's face. "It was just a real bad dream is all."

Nick grabbed the mechanics hand as Ellis started to pull away and placed a quick kiss on the callused palm. "Well, stop it; I don't like to think of you dreaming about me being dead."

Ellis gave another shy smile and moved to grab his hat from the waterlogged night stand, but Nick had other ideas.

"Not so fast, Overalls," He grinned in a decidedly feral manner. "We have a real bed all to ourselves; you think a nap is the only thing I want?" He had pulled the younger man closer to him, until they were almost nose to nose. "Surely there is a better use for this bed."

Ellis closed the couple of inches between them, placing their lips together just as Rochelle cleared her throat at the door. "I think Nick was right the first time, Sweetie. That bed can't take it."

"Neither can I," Coach added from somewhere behind her in the short hallway. "The rain has let up for now, we need to get moving again."

Ellis blushed a furious red color, but Nick just gave him one gentle kiss and pushed him back. "You heard the man, we have to get moving. I guess I will just have to wait until we are back on the boat." It was clear that the man had no idea how to be embarrassed.

Ellis was certain that if he got any reader, he would begin to glow and bring down a hoard, but Nick seemed almost un-phased by Rochelle's interruption. The man in the formerly white suit just stretched and put his legs back down into the muddy water that covered the floor of the tiny bedroom.

Ellis followed Nick's lead, but shuddered as the cold filthy water covered his feet and lower legs again, wicking up along the fabric of his overalls. He was beginning to hate water.

"Run, Ellis." Nicks ragged voice again. Once again Ellis turned quickly to see Nick simply stretching his arms and checking his inventory.

"You say somthin'" Ellis asked, knowing what the answer would be.

"Ellis, don't crack up on us now," Nick said gently, but firmly, looking Ellis in the eye and holding his slightly frightened gaze. "We have to keep it together at least a little while longer." He sounded genuinely concerned.

"I'm alright, Nick," Ellis tried to sound cheerful. "It was just such a bad dream; it still got me all bothered. It'll go away once we start moving again."

Nick gave a tight smile, and cupped Ellis' head as he walked out of the room, giving him one last kiss.

The rain had eased up, but it was not gone. The flood waters were also still rising. Flash floods will do that.

As the small group of survivors fought their way back toward Virgil, and the boat, they found out several unpleasant facts: Zombies didn't notice they were submerged and were just as dangerous under the muddy water as above it, and zombies weren't the only dead things around. A sickening tide of dead animals, rats, dogs, chickens, and possums floated by on the filthy water.

As they struggled toward the Burger Tank, Ellis couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. He had suffered from dreams that felt too real before, but this one was worse. He kept hearing Nick's voice, wheezing from the strain and the rattle of his chest as he fought to get air into lungs that would no longer inflate.

It was always the same. Nick kept telling him to run. Telling him that if he wanted to survive he needed to run and not look back. But Nick wasn't saying anything. Well, not anything other than his usual stream of invectives and curses about the residents of the rural south.

The Burger Tank was in site, but the storm chose that moment to flare back into angry, violent life. Rochelle and Coach ran ahead to see if the weapons were still in the dining room of the little greasy restaurant, yelling for Nick and Ellis to turn on the sign for Virgil.

The ladder to the roof was not stable under the best of conditions, and Ellis called Nick over to have the other man hold it while he turned on the lighted sign. Nick wasn't behind him. The howling wind and almost painful rain made it hard to find the man.

A dim figure staggered toward him. The white suit and blue shirt slowly emerged from the storm, but something was wrong. Nick walked like a man not familiar with his own body. Like one of the shambling dead things that had plagued them since the beginning of this whole ordeal.

"Not funny, man. Quit screwin' around and hold this ladder for me." Nick kept the same slow uneven pace toward him.

"Nick, stop it," Ellis heard the whine in his own voice, but was powerless to stop it. "We don't have time for this."

"Ellis, you have to run." Nick's voice, but this time, it was from the Nick in front of him. Nick's face was bowed down, out of site, and his hands were empty and slack at his sides. "You have to RUN!" Nick lifted his face and the slack jawed visage of one of the walking dead stared him in the face as lighting flashed; turning the world into a demented disco.

Ellis woke with a jolt so violent is shook the small bed. He struggled to get his breathing under control, but failed. The storm had stopped for now and the room was quiet. Very quiet, just the lapping to the water as it filled the sad little house. The bed felt soggy and wet underneath him, the water had risen enough to begin to soak the mattress under them.

Nick lay next to him.

In the new quiet, Ellis realized what had woken him. Nick wasn't breathing. The ragged gasping, the gagging cough, all of it quiet.

Rochelle and Coach came in at sound of Ellis screaming Nick's name over and over. They had to pull him form the bed and shut the door behind the distraught young man. They didn't have to see the still body as it sat up from the bed. No longer Nick, but dressed in his white suit.


End file.
